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Episode 1 – Countdown to Destruction
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Part 1
「This is troubling nanodesu. Strange interruption that isn’t in the plan is butting in……. Furthermore, the binding of world revision is still working on them right?」
An Automata girl with mechanical ears that looked like rabbit ears. The Gear Leader who managed the Arc, La Cruche looked at the girl who was confronting her and spat out that complaint.
Her current master, Raffi ordered her to erase the traitor of New Kingdom, Airi Arcadia. The one who rescued her erasure target from the crisis was a Seven Dragon Paladins from other country, Rosa Granhide.
「Interruption eh. That means you guys are doing something suspicious just as I thought theen? Perhaps even the story that Captain Magialca’s aide told me is also unexpectedly true?」
Due to Fugil’s <ruby>Transforming Drag-Ride<rt>Artifact</rt></ruby>, Uroboros, the Seven Dragon Paladins other than Lux and Magialca were made to misunderstand that the whole battle had been over after the decisive battle in the abandoned capital Guernica.
But, Aeril was kidnapped and the Grand Force of the Garden was stolen after that. And so the situation changed completely.
To investigate the action of Queen Raffi who was secretly maneuvering and rewriting people’s consciousness, Magialca skillfully manipulated the remaining Seven Dragon Paladins and guided them to the Ancient Forest. As the result, she succeeded making them Lux’s ally like this.
The people who Lux fought together with or fought against until now.
He obtained their unshakable trust from that. That was Lux’s true strength.
It was the result that was won over by Lux’s caliber as king.
「Haa, this is troubling nanodesu. Even though you were left alive in order to maintain the world’s equilibrium. Well, it’s also fate if you get killed here nanodesu. However, right now──」
With a tone of someone playing dumb, La Cruche commanded the flying type Divine Drag-Ride she was wearing──Vouivre that was decorated by gems to fly toward Airi who Rosa protected behind her.
「Tsu……!?」
Seeing that, Airi immediately turned around and started running in her pilot suit.
「Dealing with that traitor is the priority.」
La Cruche readied her extendable Blade and aimed at Airi’s back.
「You think I’ll let you?」
Rosa’s Gorynych pursued in order to protect Airi. She brandished her Scythe and swung down to block the attack, it was then,
「Good grief, nanodesu.」
The slash of the huge scythe that drew a sharp arc literally cut through empty air disappointingly.
「……Wha!?」
The attack that came from the enemy’s blind spot and should be undetectable was dodged by La Cruche without even her looking back.
Vouivre’s Divine Raiment, True Eyes could read about particular matter in the heart of the target.
Would they move right or left after this?
Would they escape or fight?
This Divine Raiment would read the reaction of the heart in regard to such specific question.
What La Cruche specified as the target of the mind reading was the trajectory of the Scythe that Rosa wielded.
La Cruche and Vouivre headed straight toward Airi. The slash then came in a trajectory to mow her from behind.
She showed a movement that matched Rosa’s prediction, and then by using feint just before the attack hit, she made Rosa’s attack to hit empty air.
「No-! Nii-san, save me!」
「Unfortunately, now that you’ve become the New Kingdom’s enemy, that wish won’t come true. You should resent your big brother who only has useless comrade nanodesu.」
She expanded her retractable Blade until the maximum length and thrust the blade toward Airi’s back like a spear.
Just as she thought that the heart would be definitely pierced from the back──, she didn’t feel any respond of her attack hitting.
「……What!?」
「Useless comrade you sayy……. I’ll throw back exactly those words back at you.」
In an instant, Gorynych’s Scythe horizontally slashed Vouivre’s back.
「Ku……!」
She barely escaped danger by making a sharp turn above, but she completely lost sight of Airi’s back.
「Just now……I see, it’s the phantom created by Gorynych’s special armament, Sin Phantom.」
Even if La Cruche read Rosa’s heart with Vouivre’s Divine Raiment, she was unable to read multiple thoughts in one sitting.
In the end she could only obtain the answer regarding the matter that she specified.
「I’ll say this now, I have seen your fight just now you knoww. A mere machine want to win against human in deceit, it’s a thousand years too early for you.」
「……I see, so you have the skill to introduce yourself as the representative of your country at least nanodesu.」
The real Airi was already escaping from the forest together with Noct who was unable to equip her Drag-Ride anymore.
In that case, she wouldn’t be able to pursue after Airi without defeating this Rosa first.
La Cruche made that judgment and turned the switch in her heart.
「So you want to die that much nanodesu. Then──I’ll grant your wish.」
The Automata girl took a fighting stance with Vouivre’s Blade and proclaimed so.
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Part 2
「You……, how long you’re going to get in my way desu──」
And then, on the other hand.
Just a slight distance away from the location where Rosa and La Cruche were fighting.
Re Plica who was also an Automata that managed the Ruin Moon was facing Soffice who saved Alma from her attack and let the girl escaped.
Tge Drag-Ride that Re Plica was wearing was the land battle type Divine Drag-Ride, Gargoyle.
Soffice had a good relation with her like sisters in the past, but that Divine Drag-Ride’s ability and disposition were unknown to her.
「That is, my line……. As I thought, without me, you’re no good.」
「Nonsense desu. Furthermore, I don’t need the like of you desu. As long as we have a master to guide us!」
She yelled. At the same time Gargoyle accelerated explosively and skated on the ground.
She lifted the large Halberd on her hand and swung it down in a straight line toward Soffice and Vritra.
「Tsu……! Mahaprana!」
It was Vritra’s Divine Raiment that freely controlled every material as well as energy’s trajectory.
Using that, she easily dodged the opponent’s attack and took their back.
The instant Re Plica exposed her defenseless back, Sophia struck at the shoulder of the enemy’s armor using her medium sized Blade. ──But,
「……tsu!?」
Gargoyle smoothly turned around. Sophi’s slash cut through air and she was fully hit by the counterattack in the form of a horizontal slash.
*DOGUN!*
「Uh……a」
The armored arm that she barely swung up accomplished the role of guard, but it was unable to fully stop the whole power of land battle type Divine Drag-Ride that was more powerful than her Drag-Ride from the start.
She was sent flying to the side and crashed on the tightly grouped up trees several times.
(Just now, what happened……!?)
Soffice didn’t understand how her attack got dodged or when she was hit by counterattack.
But, Re Plica didn’t particularly execute special piloting technique of Drag-Ride like Lux.
From how Gargoyle’s armor shined just before, she judged that Re Plica used a Divine Raiment without a doubt.
(However, why──)
She didn’t mind the fact that she was hit.
Because for Soffice who could easily dodge enemy’s attack using Mahaprana, she could recover even after receiving some damage.
However, it was a strange and terrifying danger to not even understand what was done to her.
(If it’s just running away, I can, still do that……)
Soffice was wearing flight type Divine Drag-Ride Vritra.
Against land battle type Gargoyle that Re Plica was wearing, she could one-sidedly attack her using her special armament, the satellite weapon Vajra. As long as her wings flight device were still working, Re Plica shouldn’t be able to follow her if she escaped to the sky.
(But──)
If Soffice retreated or fought passively, Re Plica would pursue after Alma once more.
If she escaped right now, there would nobody else who could help Alma.
And then, above all else.
「I don’t want to let you who are like my sister to keep acting like that.」
Since Soffice woke up in the Moon as the Key’s Supervisor and became all alone, it was this Automat who became her talking partner all this time.
Right now a different master rewrote her memory and she was taking part in an evil deed while boasting that it was justice.
There was no way she could allow such thing to happen.
「Here I come Re Plica. I’m going to take you back.」
Soffice corrected her posture and resolved herself.
She courageously flew into a battle where she was still unable to see the chance of victory.
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Part 3
「Just what is this situation?」
Krulcifer fought at the forefront as a member of Syvalles that was the main force of the New Kingdom. She noticed the strange signs and felt bewildered.
Presently, it should be a battle of New Kingdom versus Azure Division in the Ancient Forest, but there were five battles in progress at the surrounding that weren’t a battle between army.
First was the battle between Lux and Lisha in a location near Avalon’s underground facility that was called the Archive.
In addition were Greifer and Mel of Seven Dragon Paladins who joined the fight in the middle. They were in the middle of battling Nier and Dawla, the private Drag-Knights of the four great nobles who were guarding the entrance to the Ancient Forest.
And then, Rosa was fighting the Automata La Cruche, while Soffice was against Re Plica. Each of them were fighting fiercely.
But, Krulcifer herself who didn’t have the full picture had no way of learning the reason for those five battles.
There was only one mission that she was aware of.
To defeat Azure Division that was the enemy of the New Kingdom, that was all.
But, perhaps because Lux had destroyed the previous world revision and because she herself also had obtained resistance to perception revision due to receiving Baptism,
She was finally beginning to notice the strange situation that was surrounding them right now.
「What is going on? In this forest──」
However, something even more baffling than the five battles she saw just now was occurring.
The Drag-Knights of Azure Division played horn flutes and controlled a swarm of Abyss that appeared from somewhere to join their side.
Because of that the army of New kingdom was pushed back, but those Abysses were swept clean in the blink of eye.
Furthermore it didn’t happen because of Drag-Knight, but by the figure of a monster in the form a single girl in the sky that was rampaging to everywhere.
Something was strange.
The plan of someone was moving in a place that Krulcifer didn’t know about.
(That──something like that, is an ally of the New Kingdom!? If that’s not just my hallucination, then what is happening right now in this country, in this world?)
The inside of her head was prickling. Alarm bell was ringing inside her.
In this situation, if she didn’t determine the truth and acted correctly, she along with New Kingdom would perish.
「Lux-kun. If it’s you, what’re you going to do at this time──?」
Krulcifer’s present objective was simple.
It was to defeat as many Drag-Knight of Azure Division and secured Lisha’s safety.
After that, it would be the destruction of the enemy army, but if there was a chance to recover Grand Force or Aeril, she would also do that.
It should be fine to do just that. But──m
『Krulcifer……. Can you, hear me?』
「……tsu, Celis!? ……Senpai? Are you safe!?」
In the next moment, a Dragon Voice communication reached Krulcifer who was going to act.
It was from Celis who fought Lux and fainted but recovered her consciousness just now.
Of course, Krulcifer didn’t know about that fact.
Before the start of the battle, Celis’s figure vanished from their camp for some reason, but the voice that reached her was oozing with fatigue.
「There is no need for worry. More importantly, I, noticed……. He, Lux is here. My memory, is coming back little by little. The true enemy that we should fight and, what we have to face……. You too, please notice it, if you don’t hurry, it’ll be too late──」
「What are you, saying? You’re──?」
Celis’s voice that came through the Drag-Ride had no strength.
But for some reason, Krulcifer herself who was asking back felt a strange persuasiveness from Celis’s voice.
「Perhaps, we actually couldn’t recall about that day. But, our bond with him is remaining in our heart. That was why, by fighting him, I was able to remember. Search for him……for Lux, meet him, and talk to him. If you do that then surely, you should be able to remember.」
「…………」
She didn’t understand the meaning of Celis’s words.
And yet, her chest was astir.
「──Lux-kun, shouldn’t be participating in this battle in Ancient Forest.」
「……Please go. Krulcifer, in order to take back your true self, and then, in order to smash through this deceitful perception, and to fight the true enemy, together with him.」
「Hello, Celis-senpai!?」
The communication with Celis cut off abruptly. Perhaps she had reached her limit.
「I don’t, understand……」
Krulcifer who was being told all that one-sidedly spoke out her feeling.
Lux was in the middle of recuperating in the capital’s inn. There was no way he was in this Ancient Forest.
The battle over Avalon should also be over already.
「And yet……, why」
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『──Fuu, pretending to be lover while investigating is more tiring than I expected.』
The scenery of the parade together with Lux that shouldn’t be in her memory.
『Oh, does Lux-kun hate to be betrothed to me?』
The memory of the two of them walking through the street in the capital was resurrected.
In the end, the chance to confess to Lux didn’t come to Krulcifer.
No, there was.
『Then, just let me make a reservation for now. When your criminal collar is taken off, if you can come to meet me as the first thing you do……』
She was waiting for the young man all this time.
For the time when he noticed her feeling, recognized it, and gave her his reply.
And then, she conveyed it to him.
About the one thing that Krulcifer decided herself, no matter what happened in this world.
『Lux-kun. Just don’t forget this one thing. No matter what happen, we──I will be your ally.』
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「Tsu……!」
The residue of fragmentary memory combined like puzzle pieces inside Krulcifer and came back.
「He is here? Lux-kun. In this battlefield──?」
She had to search for him.
She had to save him.
It wasn’t her logic, but an impulse that was like an instinct made Krulcifer flew in her Fafnir.
In order to find the answer through all the discomfort and threat lingering in this forest.
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Part 4
On the other hand, also within the Ancient Forest, near the surface of the Archive.
「Airi. Is your body really alright?」
「Yes……. I’m fine Noct.」
Airi who was saved from her predicament by Rosa who suddenly appeared was hiding inside the forest together with Noct wearing pilot suit.
They searched for a rock that was as big as possible, hid in its cover, and snuggled to each other.
They both received damage to their Drag-Ride. Now that they became unable to deploy their Drag-Ride for a while, they could only do this to protect themselves even if it was only for their peace of mind.
「The Seven Dragon Paladins of Heiburg Republic……Rosa-san, why is she here──no, why did she save us?」
「…………」
「No, more importantly, why was that La Cruche here, and attacked Airi?」
Noct murmured while snuggling close to Airi. In respond Airi couldn’t say anything back.
Noct who didn’t even receive Baptism most likely would be unable to easily dispel the biding in her perception by Uroboros’s world revision.
That was why, Airi was unable to explain the truth to her.
Airi was unable to say that Lux was fighting in order to defeat Queen Raffi who was being possessed by Sacred Eclipse and also in order to save the New Kingdom, or how she was tricking even the Triad and leaked information to the Azure Division…….
「I’m sorry Noct……, right now I can’t explain anything to you. I ended up tricking all of you──」
「Is that, something related to Lux-san?」
「…………」
After hesitating for a bit, Airi nodded to that question.
Soon, she would have to part even from this girl who got along well with her since she first enrolled into the academy.
Lux who was perceived as the leader of Azure Division at the surface and she couldn’t possibly involve Noct in it.
And then she didn’t want to expose this roommate and also best friend of her to even more danger than this.
It might be different if it was someone who recognized the truth and had the resolve to risk their life, but she was unable to involve a friend who didn’t know anything and continued using her.
「I’m sorry to say this after this late but, Noct──. From here, can you prioritize your own safety without caring about me? There is something that I have to do no matter what.」
「By that, do you mean to say for us to separate from each other here, in this situation?」
Noct summarized the main point and replied frankly.
Airi nodded silently in affirmation.
But, the answer that came back was different from Airi’s imagination.
「Then, I understand. I’ll come with Airi. I’ll support you till the end.」
「Tsu……!」
Noct said it with a kind smile that was unusual for her who was always showing a composed expression.
She said that she would cooperate with Airi.
「Why……is that?」
「Because I want to do that. Is that not enough?」
Noct replied straightforwardly. Even Airi couldn’t say anything back to that.
「But, Noct, you have your position to think of──」
「Sharis will scold me if I abandon my irreplaceable friend. Besides, I have to protect the little sister of the person I love.」
「……. That, don’t tell me」
Noct spoke it nonchalantly but, she certainly conveyed something to her.
「Yes. I too love Lux-san. Not just as a member of Syvalles and because he is Airi’s big brother, but also from my own feeling.」
Perhaps she had the self-awareness that she was saying something that was unlike her, because Noct’s cheeks were slightly tinged red.
「When Airi resolve yourself, it’s always because you’re thinking of Lux-san. Until now I too have been watching Lux-san from the same point of view of Airi who is like that. That’s why, surely we’re feeling the same.」
「……Is, that so」
Even with her perception still being bound by the world revision, Noct said that she would support Lux who she didn’t even know where he was at right now and Airi who was taking action to protect that Lux.
Just with that, the reason to separate with her was already gone.
「Nii-san too is a bad guy. To monopolize everyone’s heart like this. I’ll have to punish him a lot later.」
「Yes, let’s do that together. That’s why, let’s survive, Airi. In order to help Lux-san──」
Airi and Noct bought time to rally themselves while calming their breath and watching the fight before their eyes at the same time.
Watching the fight of the people who let their heart went out to Lux just like them──.
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「You suddenly become passive aren’t youu. I wonder if mechanical puppet can also feel fear.」
Rosa drove her Divine Drag-Ride Gorynych and resolutely attacked La Cruche and Vouivre that focused in defense.
「……Feeling fear? Against the like of you? I don’t understand what you’re saying nanodesu. They say that the weakest dog bark the loudest but──it seems that apply to you nanodesu.」
But, La Cruche was composed even with Rosa pressuring her.
She thoroughly dealt with every single slash of the Scythe that was swung powerfully while reading Rosa’s heart at the same time. She was dissecting her opponent’s mentality.
By giving up her pursuit of Airi and narrowing down her target to just one, the precision of Vouivre’s True Eyes increased even higher.
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『Is Rosa laying out trap?』 Answer──positive.
『Does that trap make use of her special armament?』 Answer──positive.
『Does that trap use the fake Rosa as bait?』 Answer──positive.
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One by one.
In turn and in order.
La Cruche was analyzing Rosa’s thought as well as her tactic as each second passed.
The Gear Leader of the Ark, La Cruche. How long it had been since she last launched the Divine Drag-Ride Vouivre?
Even though she had this Divine Raiment to analyze human’s heart, she was unable to save Arshalia, the master who created her.
(Master……. My apologies. Nanodesu.)
In the past of more than a thousand years ago. If only at that time, she was able to see through the wicked heart of the clan of traitor that murdered Arshalia.
Then her benefactor wouldn’t die under her very own nose.
The system of Sacred Eclipse also wouldn’t get rewritten and poisoned by someone else.
At this point, no one was able to rewrite that system back into the correct state.
They were unable to know the true future that Arshalia wished for.
In that case──La Cruche would protect that belief together with this Avalon.
She would prove that with her strength.
(For the sake of Arshalia-sama who gave me heart!)
She swung her retractable special armament, Roster Edge while fully utilizing her Automata’s heart and technique to challenge Rosa.
The enemy was a girl who was made to act the fabricated evil in Heiburg Republic.
She believed in absolute evil but got betrayed. Now it seemed she had changed her target of adoration into Lux.
「Unable to maintain your own self if you don’t cling on someone else──you won’t be able to defeat me with such weak heart nanodesu.」
「To be preached about heart by a lowly machine. Unfortunately, I’m already familiar with that kind of mental attack that I’m sick of it.」
Rosa snorted at La Cruche’s words. She slashed using her Scythe along with Gorynych.
But, La Cruche extended her retractable Blade, Roster Edge and blocked the attack from behind her.
「……!?」
The special armament of Gorynych.
The twelve unmanned drones, Twelve Vices. Using that, Rosa pretended to assault La Cruche’s back while she herself attacked from the front.
To put simply it was a simultaneous attack, but even if La Cruche was reading Rosa’s heart, it should be an attack that was hard to dodge, and yet,
「You don’t understand nanodesu? Why am I able to easily block your attack──」
*Twirl*, Vouivre rotated and parried the Scythe that Gorynych swung──and quickly slashed horizontally.
The blade that should have been dodged by Rosa moving back hit her armored shoulder.
*Zagun-!*
「Wha-……!」
Due to the attack of the retractable Blade, dodging by taking distance didn’t work well.
No──rather than that, something was strange.
It was like Rosa’s movement of 『if it was the situation right now, she would leap back to dodge』 was perfectly predicted──.
「There is no one more cowardly in the bottom of their heart than someone who lie and deceive nanodesu. If it’s a situation where you can’t move to counterattack, you won’t move forward and retreat. That analysis is spot on.」
「…………」
The expression of Rosa that was sporting a confident smile until now changed into a serious look.
La Cruche intentionally took time to focus on defense was to throw several hundreds──no, several thousands 『questions』 to Rosa and determined her disposition using True Eyes.
In other words, rather than saying that La Cruche was reading the thought of Rosa right now, it was more that she had almost grasped all her movement pattern.
The analysis was progressing even while they were glaring at each other in a deadlock like this.
With the data collection and calculation of Automata, the precision of the enemy prediction was increasing remarkably.
Rosa’s heart was being dissected open by each second.
「Do you think that it’s similar? Compared to how your precious Lux Arcadia read his opponent’s moves?」
「Hah」
Rosa unconsciously snickered when she heard La Cruche’s words.
There was no way it was like that.
Lux’s prediction in the end was the superhuman reading that was based on thousands, tens of thousands of experience.
It wasn’t like the cheap analysis of Vouivre’s Divine Raiment that read the heart.
「Don’t group myself together with him, it looks like you want to say that. In that case, I’ll break you into pieces to prove it nanodesu.」
The expressionless face of the Automata looked like it was sporting a faint smile. Rosa who was facing her felt like she saw that.
「Just how brittle and shallow this so called heart that human have. I’ll engrave it into your body nanodesu.」
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Part 5
「Taking back you say, laughable desu. I──we Automata were created using the technology of you Key’s Supervisors. But my parent is only Arshalia-sama and the master who she recognized desu.」
And then in the location a hundred ml away at the west from where Rosa and La Cruche were fighting, Soffice and the Moon’s Gear Leader Re Plica were also battling.
Over there was a battle to protect Airi.
Over here was a battle to protect Alma, but no matter which side was defeated, it would make the situation to lean greatly toward the victory of the New Kingdom camp.
Unlike Rosa, Soffice who had experience of receiving Baptism with her body was noticing the truth little by little.
She realized that they were defeated by Fugil in the battle at the abandoned capital Guernica and their perception was manipulated by Uroboros’s world revision.
「I’ve already noticed the truth. I won’t listen to the nonsense of you who is being controlled.」
「It’s only your mouth that is skilled desu. However──」
Re Plica moved the land battle type Divine Drag-Ride Gargoyle that possessed light yellow heavy armor and drew near.
Even though it was a full powered dash, there should be enough distance between them, but in an instant──it wasn’t a metaphor, without even experiencing the passing of a tenth of second, the enemy was already within Soffice’s range when she noticed.
「Again? Just what’s this!? ──Uah!」
The Halberd thrust forward using its long reach.
That attack with the heavy weight of land battle type behind it pierced Vritra’s barrier easily and hit the armor.
Soffice somehow avoided taking damage to her shoulder where the Force Core was installed, but the impact caused dull pain to run through her body.
「All of you are doing unnecessary things desu. Granting the glory to rule the world to the master who is chosen by Avalon──and consequently by Sacred Eclipse, that is our duty. That is the right act to guide this world desu!」
「……-! Vajra!」
Re Plica and Gargoyle chased after Soffice who was sent flying. But then Soffice activated her special armament the satellite weapon toward them.
She matched the timing to fire the lightning strike at the location where Re Plica was going to move to, but right after that Gargoyle dodged once more using instant movement.
It was exactly the same like before. Soffice couldn’t detect the movement at all.
「──!? How, that」
「Stop the useless resistance desu.」
She wondered if Re Plica was using a Divine Raiment of teleportation just like Celis’s Lindwurm, but there was no way that was the case.
It was impossible for Divine Raiment to be the same if it wasn’t by the same type or using copying ability.
「Mahaprana!」
In order to take distance from the approaching Gargoyle, Soffice made herself to fall back quickly using the Divine Raiment of trajectory control.
If she took too much distance, Alma would get attacked once more, so she only took distance until where she could barely send her own attack.
「What meaning there is in knowing the truth for you desu? It’s meaningless for the like of imperfect creature like you who is doing nothing but committing mistake.」
「……!?」
Re Plica muttered nihilistically. She also threw several Daggers using Gargoyle’s powerful arm.
In respond Soffice took a formal fighting stance with her Blade and resolved herself to deal with the attack.
She did it while feeling slightly shaken by Re Plica’s words.
(Certainly, I made mistakes.)
She who was put in cold sleep inside the Moon woke up by herself without any memory of the past.
What she had was the reality and the past history.
The Ruins stimulated humans’ desire and became seed of conflict. Tragic fighting kept getting repeated.
Soffice who didn’t even know her reason for living chose the path of accomplishing her mission as Gear Leader at the very least. She chose to take away the Ruins from the Lords and the leaders of this era who she couldn’t trust to manage the Ruins herself. And so she challenged the world.
However, in the end she was betrayed by Dragon Marauder and failed.
If Lux wasn’t there with her at that time, she would die in despair without being able to connect with anyone.
「But──right now is different.」
Soffice cheered up her shaken feeling and concentrated.
She reversed the trajectory of the thrown Daggers using Mahaprana and sent it back to her opponent.
When the opponent faltered, she would fire lightning strike using Vajra, then struck further with her Blade to end the battle.
It should be like that but──.
She certainly planned to do that but,
The Daggers that the opponent threw didn’t get reversed by Mahaprana. They already pierced Vritra’s armor when she noticed.
「Ouch, AAAAAH……!?」
The Daggers that pierced her barrier shallowly grazed her flesh arms and legs. Intense pain ran through her four limbs.
(How!? Why──)
Soffice didn’t avert her gaze from the approaching Daggers even for a moment.
And yet, she was already hit by the enemy’s attack when she noticed.
It was strange even if Gargoyle’s Divine Raiment was physical teleportation.
Because Soffice didn’t even perceive the moment when the Daggers vanished from her field of vision.
(I don’t understand, how she do it……. The secret of Gargoyle’s Divine Raiment──. At this rate, I’ll lose.)
「Die without understanding anything desu. That’s the suitable way for you who don’t even understand yourself desu.」
Re Plica dashed forward fiercely toward Soffice who was losing balance.
While the despairing line of death was approaching, Soffice heard the voice of someone who yelled from afar.
「────」
「──Lu, x?」
The ferocious yell that thundered from far away undoubtedly belonged to that young man.
He too was in a fierce battle against someone near here.
The instant she noticed that fact, a certain memory surfaced at the back of Soffice’s mind.
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After Soffice woke up from the cold sleep in the Ruin of Moon, she was living together with the Automata Re Plica and her little sister Uruk.
Her little sister was always dreaming within that small world that was isolated from the outside world.
『Hey, Onee-chan. I want to take a look at the world on the surface!』
The reason why they were surviving even while being left behind from the era was surely in order to have understanding with someone.
In the first place even the Key’s Supervisors were going through a long journey like that before they encountered the Arcadia clan who would accept them.
Her little sister who harbored such wish met the foul play of humans who were aiming for Ruin’s technology and died.
Soffice who lost hope wouldn’t come into contact with anybody else anymore. She resolved herself to fight alone in order to protect the Ruins. However──,
『If I let you escape from here, there won’t be anymore chance for us to talk……I don’t want you and me to kill each other.』
After she was intercepted and captured by Magialca, she was put inside a prison and conversed with Lux. He was different with anyone she met until now.
Everyone was fighting for their own benefit.
However he was──.
Including his little sister Airi who was taking care of her, the people who gathered around him, all of them acted for his sake. They were fighting for the sake of someone else other than themselves.
『I don’t know how to make you believe me but, I’ll try doing what I can do. Because that’s the only thing that I can do.』
Lux’s troubled smile was burned in Soffice’s eyes.
The truth was, she wanted to be accepted by the people of this world.
He kept coming back to her who obstinately refused to get involved with other and kept persuading her.
(My first, friend. Lux, and also Re Plica too──)
Just like how they didn’t give up, there was no way she could give up.
That was the reason why Soffice was fighting here right now.
.
「Mahaprana!」
*VNN!* Vritra’s armor shined and unleashed the Divine Raiment of trajectory control.
The control target wasn’t herself, but Re Plica and Gargoyle that were skating toward her.
「……Impertinent act, desu.」
Re Plica who was made to abruptly curve to the side mowed down the approaching trees in front of her with her Halberd.
But, her legs were completely stopped.
Vritra soared up using that chance and recovered its balance.
「Yes, there is something that Lux taught me.」
It was when the members of Seven Dragon Paladins were together in a banquet that was held up in one of the days of the looping parade.
『Lux, how do you get so many friends and lovers? I want you to teach me the trick.』
She remembered getting drunk from drinking alcohol for the first time and bothered Lux like that.
In respond Lux cleared up the misunderstanding that she had no lover, and then she told her this while looking troubled.
『I can’t really say anything about that but, if I have to say then perhaps it’s not to get fixated to just one way of looking. You know, if you have prejudice of someone as enemy or ally, then you won’t be able to see them as anything else other than that.』
『Certainly, you young man aren’t just looking at your friend’s breast, you’re also looking at other places like their legs or sides.』
『I’m telling you that’s not what I mean! Stop making it sound like I’m the lowest man nonchalantly like that! Or rather, it’s because Soffice’s clothes has high exposure rate that I’m always looking at that kind of place──』
She made fun and teased him at the end but, the content of the talk was like that.
(That’s right……. Not just one angle. To learn the truth, I can just move the opponent.)
If Gargoyle had the power to stop time or to teleport──then she should be able to dodge using Vritra’s Divine Raiment before this.
(Is that, also a fake to trick me? No……there is no way the opponent will intentionally miss the chance to finish me off.)
Soffice’s concluded that the opponent never tried to dodge.
In other word, Gargoyle’s Divine Raiment wasn’t in the category of time stop or teleportation.
However, it was attacking in the moment when Soffice didn’t notice. That meant──.
「──I get it, Lux. It’s thanks to you that I notice what I was unable to notice.」
Soffice muttered and tightly clenched her fist.
Soffice’s memory that was erased by the world revision.
The sensation of Lux’s hand grasping back at her hand was remaining even now.
But, the next moment, time leaped.
「──!?」
*DOGU-!*
A dull impact suddenly pierced through Soffice’s chest from behind.
「U, ah……!」
Her back wings were struck by buckshot of rocks that approached from behind. Vritra’s altitude decreased greatly.
Re Plica launched attack on Soffice from somewhere once more while Soffice didn’t notice.
(I don’t know, her location. Plica is hiding inside the forest and attacking me.)
Rocks flew at her just now from behind, but she must have moved away right now. At the very least Re Plica wouldn’t be right behind her.
The thruster device that was the advantage of flying type was targeted. Her altitude was forcefully lowered.
The enemy’s aim was already clear.
After that she planned to approach Vritra from inside the thicket and consigned Soffice to oblivion in one attack.
「It’s pointless no matter what you try desu! The righteous us losing is just──」
The Automata voice that was familiar to her ear.
The words of the girl who had been living together with her like her actual little sister came into her hearing from somewhere.
The girl who was put under the control of Raffi who connected to Avalon and had her mind stolen──.
「That too, is a wrong assumption you know, Re Plica」
Someone who was her family in the past was directing a thick killing intent to her.
The power output of Vritra was also decreasing. It was a despairing situation where she couldn’t even escape by flying away.
Even so Soffice was unperturbed. She quietly replied back.
「I thought, that Key’s Supervisor won’t be able to reach an understanding with the people of this era. I also thought that if it’s us then we’ll be able to make the right judgment. But it was wrong, I was just unable to realize it. It was you and Lux who made me noticed. That’s why──」
「Is that so? You can just do whatever you like desu. But, you’re unable to defeat me desu──. After all!」
Instantly, an explosive sound of an attack came from a ground just slight distance away.
Right after that, Gargoyle suddenly appeared from the ground a few dozen ml away.
Soffice was paying attention t the surrounding sound and presence, but she opened her eyes wide in astonishment seeing that.
「That form is……Over Limit!?」
In order to finish the fight before Vritra flew to the sky once more, Re Plica released all her Drag-Ride’s limiters and transformed into its strongest form.
The lightning strike from Vritra’s satellite weapon Vajra attacked Gargoyle, but the opponent dodged it.
Re Plica was hiding in thicket before this wasn’t just for approaching Soffice stealthily,
「It was to buy time to change into Over Limit──」
「You’re noticing it too late desu! You’ve lost already desu!」
Gargoyle charged forward with a speed that eye couldn’t follow.
At the same time, that thick armor shined brightly and activated the unknown Divine Raiment.
Re Plica was convinced.
Soffice absolutely wouldn’t be able to dodge the next attack. She also couldn’t defend. She also couldn’t hide.
Therefore she fixed her aim to simply split Soffice into two with her Halberd without thinking of defense or anything else. In that instant──.
「Eh──!?」
With a jerk, Gargoyle’s center of gravity leaned forward and it stumbled.
The wheels on the armored legs floated in the air and she went through a track that crossed above Vritra and Soffice who were crouching on the ground before crashing on the large rock behind.
「Gua……! Wha, what happened desu!? Is it a breakdown desu-!? In this kind of time!」
There shouldn’t be any chance of her being done in by Soffice, not even in a one of a million chances.
Because,
「Because the opponent shouldn’t even be able to think to defend. Is that what you think?」
「Tsu……!?」
Re Plica crashed on the large rock with great speed and her armor was smashed due to the impact. She looked up at Soffice.
「Did you change my trajectory with Mahaprana!? But how──」
Soffice made the skating armored leg to float, breaking the opponent’s balance while changing the trajectory so that she crashed on the large rock behind.
That in itself was possible if using Vritra, but Soffice should be unable to do that.
Because in order to shift the trajectory of Gargoyle’s charge, it was necessary to concentrate solely on that and used the Divine Raiment while the enemy was approaching.
And then, when Gargoyle had approached until that range──.
「My consciousness should be swallowed into darkness. That’s why I shouldn’t be able to react at all. That’s it right?」
「……Tsu!?」
Re Plica fell silent hearing what Soffice pointed out.
That was the answer.
The Divine Raiment of land battle type Divine Drag-Ride Gargoyle was to swallow the consciousness of the designate opponent within the range for several moments.
For several seconds, the opponent’s consciousness itself would be taken away.
That was why, they wouldn’t even notice what was done to them.
It felt like the time was skipped.
「Bu, but. How desu!? How were you able to act while your consciousness were gone──」
「Animal ear’s memory is bad. Even though it was you who taught me in the past──」
Soffice made a blank stare and took a stance with Vritra’s Sword Device.
Instantly, small light frames were floating around the armor.
「Wha……!」
Tuning──the reconstruction of Drag-Ride’s system.
Seeing that Re Plica finally understood the secret of the trick that Soffice used.
When controlling Drag-Ride using body control operation or mind control operation, although it was only for very slight there would be time lag.
Normally it was a lag that didn’t even take a hundredth of second, but when the Drag-Ride was damaged, there would be case where that lag was increasing.
At the past, in the training using the Moon’s combat simulator, Soffice once blundered in using Vajra and hurt herself. She was hit by the electricity’s shockwave.
At that time, Re Plica lectured her full of confidence.
『Good grief, Soffice is completely no good desu. You need to use tuning at that kind of time.』
If she changed the setting using tuning, she would also be able to delay the reaction when controlling Drag-Ride.
In other words, even when there was a blank in her consciousness, by reading the timing of a moment ahead, she prepared a delayed control that would work at the instant Gargoyle’s Divine Raiment activated──that was the trick.
In order to control the Drag-Ride with time delay for several seconds later that she thought as the right timing.
Of course, if Re Plica was careful and made a feint or braked suddenly, Soffice would be in disadvantage.
But, Soffice won the bet.
「Uu……but desu! I still haven’t lose──!」
Re Plica forcefully controlled Gargoyle that became in tatter and damaged after the heavy crash. She swooped down while swinging up her Halberd to aim at Soffice.
In respond Soffice’s usual expressionless face crumbled and she raised a sad face.
「I’m sorry, Re Plica. I cannot take back your heart.」
Soffice who was a Key’s Supervisor understood.
The consciousness of the girl who supported her like a sister was overwritten and vanished.
For an Automata, their memory was their life.
Soffice shed tears and mourned that it was taken away.
「But, I thought of the you who was staying together with me as the true you. That’s why──thank you, for everything until now. I’ll do my best from here on.」
──*Pishaaa!*
In an instant, Re Plica and Gargoyle were vertically pierced by Vajra’s lightning.
「A, a……!」
Right after blocking the last attack, Vritra’s Blade stabbed Gargoyle’s shoulder and destroyed the Force Core there.
「Haa……, haa……!」
Soffice dispelled Vritra’s armor and plopped down on the snowy ground.
Scattered around her was the wreckage of the friend who she slew as enemy.
「This isn’t the time, to cry.」
But, her consciousness was getting father due to the cold and fatigue.
When her body tittered and about to fall, there was a presence behind her.
「You will catch a cold if you sleep at that kind of place you know? I’m used to cold of this degree though.」
「……-!? You’re──Ymir Theocracy’s?」
「You, remember my name at least……」
Soffice thought that it was a new enemy for a moment, but the one who appeared was a little girl with wavy silver hair.
The girl who fought together with her in the abandoned capital Guernica as a fellow member of Seven Dragon Paladins, Mel Gizalut.
Until now she along with Greifer was facing the Drag-Knights of the four great nobles, Nier and Dawla who were guarding the Ancient Forest.
「We finished easily at our side so I came to give back up but, looks like you won. But, if I’m not wrong that Automata is──」
「Yes, the child who was like my little sister. After I woke up in the Moon, she stayed beside me all this time but……」
「……I see.」
Unlike Soffice, Mel still hadn’t been freed from the binding of perception manipulation from Uroboros.
But, she could at least understand that Re Plica appeared as an enemy due to some kind of abnormal situation.
「As I thought, it looks like something important that is related to the Ruins is happening here.」
「Yes……. Can you, listen to me? Perhaps, your memory will return bit by bit.」
「I don’t mind. I’m also getting curious, but──before that」
Gently, using the armored arm of Divine Drag-Ride Ddraig Gweiber, Mel hugged Soffice’s body.
She warmed that freezing body using the heater installed in her Drag-Ride.
「First, I’ll give you first aid. I’ll listen to you while you rest.」
「……I’m surprised. Even though you looked like a cold person, you’re unexpectedly kind.」
「I’m Mel Gizalut. Remember my name properly. Our country and birthplace are different but, there is no doubt that we’re comrade. Besides──」
Mel suddenly showed a sad face and whispered.
「Even at my age, I know the pain that you’re feeling right now. The feeling from an important person who supported your heart leaving you is──」
Mel too in the past saw Orphel, her benefactor who was like a mother to her died.
But, because Lux and Krulcifer were there for her, she was able to get back on her feet.
「Then, is it okay, even if I cry for a bit?」
「……Yes, I’ll keep it a secret from everyone.」
Mel lifted up Soffice’s limp body in her arms.
At the side of one thing that she lost, Soffice felt like she obtained a new something.
.
Part 6
「Haa, haa……! Lux……sama!?」
At the same time.
Rosa who was fighting nearby also heard Lux’s yell that sounded like a roar.
The flying type Divine Drag-Ride Vouivre was cornering Gorynych that was a tough land battle type Divine Drag-Ride.
The special characteristic of the retractable Roster Edge was its ability to switch skillfully between close range battle and medium range battle.
Its strength laid in matching the opponent’s tactic and executed the optimum action.
And then, La Cruche used her Divine Raiment True Eyes to analyze Rosa’s specialty tactic and attack one by one and crushed them.
「Oh, looks like you’re agitated nanodesu. Are you that worried about Lux Arcadia?」
La Cruche was laying out barrage of bullet using Breath Gun wearing Vouivre while cornering Rosa.
To activate Gorynych’s Divine Raiment, Tartarus Frame, a strong focus was necessary but, she was unable to do the transformation combination while under attack.
If she was able to enter the Devilmacia Mode she would be able to obtain the maximum power output and greatly shortened the distance to victory, but the enemy wouldn’t give her the time for that.
La Cruche pressed on with mechanical precision to accurately tear apart Gorynych’s armor and decided the battle.
「……Kuh!」
La Cruche weaved through the armor’s gap and dealt damage on Rosa’s flesh body.
Even now she dealt shockwave impact of Breath Gun from the gap of the armor, planting pain and terror into Rosa.
Breaking the opponent’s heart──that was the tactic of the current La Cruche.
People tended to think of piloting ability as important factor of a Drag-Knight’s strength, and in fact they were right, but they also often overlooked that strong mind was indispensable to apply that strength.
No matter how much skill they had, if they didn’t have the strength of heart that allowed them to display it completely, they wouldn’t be able to display their best performance.
And then, La Cruche knew from the record in the Ruins just how brittle a Drag-Knight who lost the sense of balance in their heart.
「It looks like you’re strong against pain nanodesu. Apparently you have received training for that. No, perhaps it’s more correct to say that you have received violence daily nanodesu.」
「That’s an unnecessary concern you knoww……」
Rosa Granhide’s past.
When she was a child, her parents who protested the continuation of unproductive war murdered by the government. She herself was also tortured and lived under oppression.
She was picked up by a military officer when she was dying.
Rosa whose heart was already crushed received an education that was nearly a brainwashing. She played the role of a villain and ruled at the surface as the King of Vices of Heiburg Republic.
In reality, she was being manipulated for the convenience of others. But even knowing that, she didn’t know other way of living.
Until that day.
The day where it was raining on the urban area of Heiburg Republic, where she was defeated by Lux in the battle there──.
Overwhelming strength and kindness that smashed apart her mask without killing her and saved her.
Seeing that, Rosa’s heart was moved.
If she could live for the sake of this person, then it wouldn’t be scary at all.
That her life that fell into dark shadow would be illuminated by him──.
「──Haaah!」
Rosa swung up her large Scythe while unsheathing Gorynych’s Sword Device.
Using mind control operation, she controlled the unmanned Twelve Vices simultaneously and launched all out attack.
「……I see, that’s a rough command, but if the unmanned drones are all moved simultaneously, I too will find it hard to predict their movement. It’s a countermeasure by including uncertain factor into your tactic isn’t it nanodesu?」
「──!?」
Her aim was read by La Cruche, but Rosa’s choice was correct.
Several of the attacks of the drones hit La Cruche’s Vouivre.
But, the essential Rosa herself, only the attack from Gorynych’s main body that got thoroughly defended and dodged with certainty.
「The objective of diversion is for capitalizing on the real action. In other words, even the simple attack of the drones hit, it won’t be lethal nanodesu. Therefore──」
*Gakii-……!*
The blade of Roster Edge entered into blade locking contest. From there it stretched out and using that momentum, Gorynych’s Scythe was repelled.
「……Tsu!?」
Rosa immediately strengthened her barrier to endure, but in that instant, La Cruche and Vouivre approached in front of Rosa.
If it was a normal Drag-Knight, when they were approached by an armed enemy Drag-Knight, they would raise their barrier’s output and focused on defense.
In exchange Rosa immediately unleashed Howling Roar for defense and offense rolled into one. And then she was going to switch into counterattack from there but,
「I’m telling you, I’ve seen through a mere shallow thinking from you nanodesu.」
La Cruche who read that action took a sharp turn and circled behind Rosa.
However, right after she took that defenseless back, she felt a discomfort.
「Is that so? Certainly it’s just as you saiid. ──Break Purge!」
「……Guh」
The armor that was shot out from Rosa’s Gorynych attacked La Cruche behind her.
Break Purge took off some parts of the user’s own armor while shooting it out as buckshot. Just like Howling Roar, it also used a lot of energy of Force Core so it couldn’t be used consecutively.
However, the Howling Roar that La Cruche dodged just now was nearly an ineffectual attack. Its power output was extremely weak and used little energy.
In other words, the first attack was a fake.
「……So there is, also that move nanodesu.」
Vouivre was unbalanced after receiving the armor buckshot.
Rosa didn’t miss that moment. The Scythe of the lightened Gorynych slashed.
──*Zaguu-! Ginn!*
Vouivre’s barrier was cut apart and it was sent flying to the side.
La Cruche along with her Drag-Ride crashed on a huge tree some dozens of ml away.
「Even I can at least predict what you might do after reading my miind.」
In the common sense of Drag-Knight, firing Howling Roar and Break Purge one after another wasn’t just done, it couldn’t be done.
After all if one of them was used with weakened strength, there wouldn’t be any meaning to it.
Because as long as the opponent didn’t read the user’s mind, it couldn’t even be used as a feint.
「I see……. Looks like you have the ability that is worthy for a representative of a country nanodesu. Certainly──」
「It’s still to early for you to praise mee. After all it’s only from here that you’ll get scattered into pieces horribly.」
Rosa used the opening from having taking distance from Vouivre and lifted up her Sword Device high. She thought with focus.
「Tartaros Frame──Devilmacia Mode!」
The drones special armament, Twelve Vices were gathered and transformed Gorynych into a single huge Drag-Ride.
The terrific power output of more than ten Drag-Rides would greatly exhaust Rosa’s stamina, but it formed an overwhelming offensive and defensive power in exchange.
「Fall! You cursed Automata!」
And then, a giant armored fist that was as large as a single house struck toward Vouivre.
*DO-, GOON……!*
「……!?」
But, right after Rosa unleashed her attack, she felt something was strange.
At the same time when her fist struck, a great impact also burst from the inside of Gorynych’s huge armor. Rosa’s consciousness became distant.
「Guh……! Wha, what in the world is this? Something──」
「Your heart is completely transparent nanodesu. That includes your attempt to somehow take distance from me and combine using Tartarus Frame.」
「This is……. In the armor of Devilmacia Mode, something like gems are──」
「Vouivre’s special armament. <ruby>Jewel Bit<rt>Gem Eyeball</rt></ruby>. It’s an installed type weapon that can fire out beam. When your Gorynych combined, I sneaked this weapon into it. In order to connect it to your inside and attack your frame from there.」
「……No, way!」
Right after the combine, those weapons were activated in full power and attacked Devilmacia Mode from inside.
The plan that Rosa thought had managed to take the opponent by surprise was seen through.
(What should I do……. My greatest technique is defeated. I can’t, think of anymore idea to win against this La Cruche……!)
The multi-layered armor was crumbling. Vouivre flew and slashed with its Blade to peel the armor.
(Lux-sama, I’m sorry. I……cannot, help you)
「That’s right nanodesu.」
La Cruche whispered as though she had seen through Rosa’s heart.
「You cannot save anyone nanodesu. You’re nothing but a puppet without will despite possessing a flesh and blood body……」
「Tsu……!?」
Rosa’s expression distorted in bitterness when the wound of her heart was gouged.
La Cruche didn’t miss that opening and showered blows with Vouivre.
Cannon shot, slash, and then beam attack using Jewel Bit from every directions.
The last remaining thick barrier and armor of Gorynych were also peeled off. The impact that penetrated her body made Rosa showed an expression of anguish.
(Why, am I fighting? Even though there isn’t any prospect of victory or anyone asking me to do it)
The reason to fight.
For Rosa whose heart was broken since she was a child, such thing didn’t exist.
Her purpose of living was only to get praised and needed by someone else.
She only lived to accomplish the role that someone else created for her.
(Lux, sama……)
However, when she was defeated by that young man and she was liberated from the curse of the <ruby>King of Vices<rt>Calensia</rt></ruby>, a light shined on her.
What surfaced to her mind was the memory of the parade the other day.
It was her conversation with Lux that she remembered because it happened at the last repeated parade.
.
「──Lux-sama, why are you that strong? Not just against other Drag-Knight, but also against Abyss. No, as a human too……」
At the night of parade, in the castle’s banquet venue.
When Lux abruptly headed to the terrace to feel the wind, Rosa resolved herself and asked him what she wanted to ask.
Since the case in Heiburg, Rosa was under the command of Magialca for a long time but, the end of that period was also approaching near.
The ruler that reigned from the shadow in Heiburg had vanished, but from here on she would have to choose her own path by herself.
For Rosa who had lived as someone else’s manipulated puppet until now, she had no confidence for that.
It was a godsend that she got this chance to talk with him just the two of them.
While thinking that she wanted to embrace Lux tightly if possible, she talked toward his back.
In respond he made a troubled smile.
「I’m, not strong or anything. I noticed that after spending time together with everyone in that academy.」
「That’s not true. At the very least, Lux-sama has never lost no matter what kind of adversity you faced and you keep persisting on your own belief.」
「It’ll be great if I can do that. But right now, there is no way that the current me will be able to make things go that well.」
(Aa……)
That expression that turned back toward her.
Seeing from the side the young man’s face that was hiding a strong will within that peaceful expression, the inside of Rosa’s head was numbed sweetly.
That power that overwhelmed Rosa.
And then, at the point when he could kill Rosa, he saw through that it wasn’t evil at her inside but just a weak girl, and he saved her.
Exactly because of that Rosa’s heart was stolen by this young man.
「However, if I can say one thing about what should be done in order to fight──. I think that you mustn’t feel scared to look.」
「Feeling scared, to look?」
Rosa repeated the words as a question. Lux nodded.
「To be more accurate, it’s to see through the truth about yourself and your opponent. It’s something really hard though……. I too, when fighting you, I don’t know what I would do if Phi-chan wasn’t there with me.」
「…………」
Lux forgot himself in anger because Philuffy got hurt. Heiburg’s people then spurred him on and he almost got buried under the impulse to strike down the evil called Rosa.
However, that wasn’t Lux’s true wish,
「Observe, face each other, fight, and understand what the opponent is thinking. That’s really, really difficult to do, but. If you can do that──」
The young man faced Rosa and smiled.
「I think you’ll be able to take a step closer to win.」
Those words of him remained forever inside Rosa’s chest.
.
「Die, die already nanodesu. How long are you going to cling on that battered Drag-Ride?」
「…………」
Perhaps it only took several seconds. Her memory with Lux that surfaced at the back of her mind like revolving lantern vanished and the present situation was projected into Rosa’s sight.
La Cruche and Vouivre that unleashed attacks like raging stream to strike and push Rosa back.
In contrast Rosa had her sure-kill technique Tartaros Frame and Devilmacia Mode seen through. She was even taken by surprise and now she was in a despairing predicament. A large part of Gorynych and her barrier had also been peeled off.
(──And yet, why isn’t the current me defeated yet?)
Even though she was only defending unconsciously using the instinct that permeated through her body in order to survive.
The Divine Raiment of Vouivre that La Cruche was wearing, True Eyes. If she had such ability, than perhaps even her would be able to see the truth of her opponent but──.
(No, that’s not it……. That’s only peering at the surface of your opponent’s heart. It’s nothing more than reading the right and wrong of the question you have.)
『However, if I can say one thing about what should be done in order to fight──. I think that you mustn’t feel scared to look.』
「Feeling scared, to look?」
Rosa repeated the words as a question. Lux nodded.
『──To be more accurate, it’s to see through the truth about yourself and your opponent.』
Lux’s words that he told her at the parade’s banquet were coming back in Rosa’s chest.
Why, La Cruche was unable to defeat Rosa when she should have crushed all her plans?
Why she was able to hold on like this?
Why this enemy was so persistently attacking Rosa’s heart until now like this?
And then, even though she should have already analyzed all Rosa’s method of attack, why then La Cruche was the one who was at a loss of how to attack──.
「I understaand, it. Lux-sama」
──*Gakii-!*
「Wha-……!?」
Rosa swung her large Scythe with a round trajectory. She parried Vouivre’s Blade while slashing back.
The tip of the blade pierced the barrier and stabbed into the Automata’s foot. La Cruche opened her eyes wide in shock.
「Hah, as I thought. So it’s something like thaat」
「What’s the meaning of this? Why can’t I read the attack──」
La Cruche was bewildered, but Rosa’s counterattack didn’t stop with just that.
Without pause she drove forward and tackled the opponent, using the advantage of land battle type Divine Drag-Ride’s weight.
La Cruche reflexively ascended up to escape to the sky. In that instant Rosa pulled back her Scythe and cut up her back wings.
「U, ah……!? How-……!?」
Normally, it would be difficult for a weapon like a large scythe to hit with a linear attack because of its curving blade, but it was suited for an attack that hooked an enemy that tried to escape or attack toward place like the back or the side.
La Cruche lost the ability to fly and descended. In respond Rosa used the butt of her Scythe to land a blow on La Cruche’s torso.
La Cruche was sent flying to the back. When her back hit a large tree, Rosa launched a slashes from every direction.
(How!? Why, nanodesu!?)
La Cruche suppressed her desire to scream. She was bewildered by Rosa’s fierce counterattack.
Why was she unable to read Rosa’s heart even when she threw question at the deep consciousness of Rosa using True Eyes?
And then, why was Rosa’s attacks landing on La Cruche as though she was seeing through her movement?
La Cruche’s movement was crushed meant that her action was predicted by Rosa.
In that case, Rosa’s mind should be working with complicated thought in order to do that.
And yet, she was unable to read that mind.
La Cruche didn’t understand the reason and felt flustered.
「You’re now unable to read my mind, riight? Well of coursee. Right now, I’m not thinking of anything──」
She pushed La Cruche on the large tree with her Scythe’s butt, while her other hand raised her Cannon.
Zero distance bombing from a glued posture.
That action that would cause herself to get damaged by the backlash was certainly not something rational.
(She isn’t thinking anything, move nonsensically, so that her heart cannot be read? Then──!)
She would also counterattack with all her strength without any consideration to her own state in order to make the enemy falter. That was the only way.
If Rosa received large damage and got cornered into predicament, then her fainthearted thought would surely flow into her.
*……DOU-!*
「Uh, AAAAAA-……! Howling Roar!」
The zero distance bombing was fired from the Cannon. Vouivre’s whole armor was creaking.
But, La Cruche who got damaged also unleashed Howling Roar from their glued state. She took the best action in order to distance Rosa from herself.
There was already the force from the Cannon’s recoil that would make the two of them separated from each other.
If she took advantage of that and added Howling Roar on top of that, then she would be able to take a large distance without fail.
If she did that, it should become possible to read Rosa’s heart once more and attacked back in advantage.
*Gakii-!*
「……wwha-!?」
That expectation of La Cruche was easily betrayed.
In that instant when she thought that Rosa was blown backward, the back of Vouivre was deeply cut apart.
Rosa who was hit with two impacts from point blank was grinning fearlessly even while bleeding from her forehead and mouth.
「I’m thankfuul. You increased my attack’s strength. After all I fired my Cannon from point blank for this from the start.」
She pushed her Cannon’s muzzle on La Cruche’s stomach from point blank and placed her Scythe’s blade on Vouivre’s back in order to hook it at the moment of impact.
If she was bounced back by the impact and the force of the two of them separating from each other was applied, the power on the blade that was hooking on La Cruche would also get increased.
If the impact from the Howling Roar’s recoil was also heavy──then it would be even more effective.
Even while Rosa’s state was worsening, she focused her remaining energy into her Scythe’s blade and swung fully.
「──N, ooOOOOO-!」
There was creaking sound *baki baki* of metal and Vouivre’s armor was severed into two.
Even then, La Cruche wrung out her remaining strength and extended her Blade toward Rosa’s stomach. She lunged with all her power.
*Zashuu-!*
But, it didn’t hit.
The counterattack of Vouivre that was split into two at the torso by the Scythe’s blade was shifted up at the tip due to that impact. It only grazed Rosa’s side slightly.
(Why, is this. Even though human should feel pain and fatigue, far more than us Automata──)
The intense pain and exhaustion from the impact’s recoil. Rosa didn’t even pay those any mind and took another stance with the Scythe she had just swung.
And then, before the energy to pilot Gorynych ran out, the tip of the Scythe struck La Cruche.
「Gu, ah……」
Vouivre’s Force Core was completely pulverized. In addition the Automata’s power source was also severed.
The two’s battle was decided with that one attack.
.
「Haa, haa……. Haah, haa……!」
Inside the Ancient Forest where the ground was slowly getting covered by snow.
Rough white breath leaked out from Rosa’s mouth intermittently.
「Why……, how, nanodesu……? I want, to know nanodesu……」
La Cruche’s wreckage that was scattered into pieces spoke toward Rosa.
「Even at this point, you’re still……talking to me to keep me here even just for a bit longer for your master’s sake? That’s really an admirable determination……」
However, Rosa kept her vigilance toward the Automata’s tenacity and didn’t get closer.
She took distance and readied herself to be able to counterattack anytime.
「You cannot, move your body for a while anyway nanodesu. It should be fine even if you keep the current me company, before I vanish.」
「…………」
It was spot on.
Rosa’s exhaustion was already at the point where she couldn’t wear Gorynych anymore.
Due to the extreme fatigue, she wouldn’t be able to take even a step for a while.
And so she judged that it would be fine even if she answered the Automata’s question.
「How, were you able to turn the table in that situation nanodesu? Why did True Eyes become unable to read your action?」
「Even though I still haven’t said that I’ll answer, you’re just asking as you please.」
Rosa said in exasperation. Even so her mouth was also sporting a faint smile.
「Then let me ask you instead, leading someone’s heart astray, that was your tactic using Vouivre and True Eyes right?」
「…………」
This time it was La Cruche lying on the ground who fell quiet from getting seen through.
「The answer is──yes nanodesu. The tactic of me and Vouivre is to make the opponent harbor doubt. Someone who hesitates in the middle of battle will become weak, and then they will weaken and end up taking timid action. I read the opponent’s tactic one by one for that sake nanodesu. And yet──」
In fact it was effective.
Rosa’s every single choice got outsmarted, her trump card was crushed, and she became unable to know what to do.
「I really got panicked theree. I panicked and couldn’t even show my real strength. I went with a desperate gamble, and when it ended in failure, I despaired thinking that it’s the eend. But──I noticed. With my action getting predicted, I could only feel scared at how other is looking at me. Because of that I didn’t look at you.」
「……? What do you, mean by that nanodesu?」
「It means exactly thaat. I thought about you. Why did you try to see through my heart so persistently like that. That was to hide that you don’t want to get defeated by the enemy wasn’t iit……. I found out in the end though.」
「…………」
La Cruche herself never told anyone but, her Divine Raiment, True Eyes’ weak point was 『empty thought』.
In case someone moved unconsciously to defeat the enemy before their eyes, they would naturally choose the best choice from among the attack patterns that had been engraved in their body and executed it.
Worrying, losing confidence, not being able to think anything, that was the opposite of empty thought.
A powerful Drag-Knight who wouldn’t form any plan and surpassed La Cruche when challenging her into a head-on fight was an opponent that La Cruche was most on guard against.
「That was why you fought in the way that made me want to think of what to do whether in offense or defense. If there is time to think, if you force me plan and scheme using words, then I will inevitably focus on it. I too tried to form a plan to take you by surprise or use True Eyes to work against youu. But I didn’t notice that was exactly your aim……」
「I see, nanodesu……」
It wasn’t like Vouivre that La Cruche wore had astoundingly high specs compared to the other flying type Divine Drag-Rides.
That was because an immense energy would be consumed in order to use the Divine Raiment True Eyes.
It would be disadvantageous to normally fight against Rosa and Gorynych that was a land battle type Drag-Ride with outstanding power and toughness.
That was why she tried to weaken her.
She cornered her to become paranoid so that she wouldn’t be able to display her actual strength.
「And then, you didn’t use that Over Limit thing because you wanted to preserve your strength as much as possible right? In other words, the other Automata that fought Soffice  was also defeated. Or perhaps your side was also in predicament. I noticed that.」
「……Is that, what you mean, by looking at me?」
Rosa observed La Cruche and Vouivre, as well as taking in the present situation as well as the surrounding situation into her consideration.
And then she searched for her opponent’s weakness, and crushed her with attacks that were free from any obstructive thoughts without even caring about her own life.
Spouting lies and outwitting the opponent were Rosa’s fighting style, but her pure fighting strength as Drag-Knight was also in the top of her country.
「Then, one last question……. Why are you strong nanodesu? After I attacked your heart that much, how can stand and face it nanodesu? How can you make a comeback from that unfavorable situation?」
「…………」
「How……, can you have a strong heart nanodesu? At that time a thousand years ago, if humans didn’t betray master, surely……. The world will be in peace……」
La Cruche was connected to Avalon and memory streamed into her through it. She recalled the tragedy that happened to her creator Arshalia and raised a sorrowful voice.
The people who was saved by Arshalia who was extolled as the Goddess of Salvation.
She remembered the event of the clan of traitor baring their fang at her, killed her, and a part of the world salvation system called Sacred Eclipse was rewritten to be convenient for them.
「Human, is a weak creature. In order to protect their own benefit, in order to have an easy life, they will betray other without batting an eyelid. They’re cowardly and unfair. Then how can, such human──」
「…………」
The heartrending yell that was let out by the wreckage of Automata that laid in pieces.
Hearing that, Rosa didn’t understand about their circumstance in the past but──.
「It’s just like you saay. Human is weak and cowardly. They’re that kind of creaturee.」
Rosa let out gasping breath while affirming La Cruche’s words.
Rosa who was made to be the body double of the shadow ruler of Heiburg──the King of Vices, Rosa who received the hatred of the people that was focused to her alone knew about the weakness of human’s heart more than anyone.
「Lux-sama and the people around him are surely really rare. No, even him and the girls around him also have weak heart. But, they’re fightiing……. With that their weak self, they’re fighting even now.」
「…………」
「People without such mettle to fight, people who has lost something will be able to torment other without batting an eyelid. If I’m able to change, it’s only because of one thing.」
Because she idolized that noble figure that faced their weakness, opposed it, and fought.
At that time when Rosa was defeated in Heiburg Republic.
Lux didn’t run away from the weakness of his heart. He conquered his suffering and hatred and saved Rosa.
「Because I was saved by a person who has a strong heart……」
「Are you talking, about that Lux Arcadia? Are you saying, that’s what a hero is──」
Rosa wordlessly replied with a nod.
「……Is that so. Then, the answer might appear. That Black Hero, and the hero who Arshalia-sama bI’elieved in. Which one is the real deal──. I want you, to ascertain it with your own, eyes……」
La Cruche only said that before her function finally stopped.
Rosa watched that while slowly standing up and smiled.
「I’ll do just that even without you telling mee. In order to protect Lux-sama who I love and believe in.」
For the sake of the young man who replaced the King of Vices that sunk her tiny self into the shadow and illuminated her heart with light, Rosa grasped her Sword Device once more.
「Haa, haa……. It seems, it’ll take a bit more time for me to recoveer……. If I don’t, meet up with Soffice or Lux-sama’s little sister at least ─」
Her footsteps were unsteady due to the extreme fatigue.
Even so Rosa faced forward and walked ahead. Then her ear heard a thunderous sound.
「──!? That’s!」
She gasped and looked up to the snowing sky. There a certain sight entered her eyes.
There a crimson Divine Drag-Ride was dancing in a fierce battle against a jet black Drag-Ride.